Beverage charging



Sept. 1, 1936. J. D. STRUTZEL BEVERAGE CHARGING Filed June 8, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l J12 ven or John ,D. Jzwui'za Patented Sept. 1, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE j: 2,052,810 BEVERAGE CHARGING John D. Strutzel, Maywood, Ill. Application June 8, 1935, Serial No. 25,571

' 'lClaim. (crate-72) L This invention relates to the subject of filling beverage containers in connection with a process of charging the liquid in the containers after the filling operation and prior to shipment of the containers.

- Objects of the invention are to effect more perfect charging, that is, to bring about more exactness and uniformity with reference to the quantityof liquid and predetermined volumes of :7 charging gas placed in each container and to avoid some of the difliculties incident to the filling of'the containers with precharged beverages. Another purpose of the invention is to provide improved equipment for' rapidly filling and charging 'the containers and causing complete diffusion of the gas in the liquid.

1 The improved equipment is illustrated by the drawings. wherein: i V

Figured is a longitudinal section showing a receiver-for beverage containers with connections to charging equipment, and a drive means for retatingthe-receiver. A beverage container partly in section is'shown inthe receiver.

--Fig'.j2- is an enlarged sectional detail illustrat ing the manner ofmounting a rotating tube which conducts gas to a beverage container while the latter is rotatedibr-mixing. Fig. 3is-a detail'view'partly in section of one end'of a container and valve connections there- Fig. 4- is a view in longitudinal section showing a modification of V the equipment illustrated by Fig.1. I r I Fig. "5; is a view of the receiver with container chutes associated therewith and-in section as inthefact that the liquid is under pressure it is.

diificult to avoid foaming in the filling operation and to exactly fill the containers with a specified quantity of the liquid under a predetermined charge. Great care must be exercised in the filling operation to avoid the retention of air in the containers or the expansion of the charged liquid ""2 as it enters the containers.

If the airis completely'removed from the beveragecontainer and is replaced with CO2 gas the beverage may be preserved indefinitely against tamed;

spoilage so long as such conditions are main- By means of the improved equipment it is possible to follow a method of charging by which it is possible to attain uniform and exact results in the product A container is completely filled with unchargedliquid,.driving out all air from the container; then a definite quantity of the liquid is driven out of the container by the charging gas. When that predetermined quantitynf the liquid has :been removed from the container, the liquid inlet and outlet valves are closed but the gas pressureis maintained while the gas and liquid in the container is agitated to cause the gas to thoroughly permeate the liquid. The agitation is efiected hyrotating or oscillating the container while the pressure on the gas is main-' erage. Some beverages more readily absorb-the CO2 gasthan others. It is also desirab'lezto place indifierent beverages different volumesof charging gas according to the nature of the beverage. Therefore the pressure applied is varied to suit such requirements and a machine may be timed for different periods of operation and its speed may be altered by use of speed changing gears.

The agitation is maintained iora period of from two to five minutes, depending upon the size and construction of the container and the kind of liquid. The metal barrel containers illustrated in the drawings are provided with baifles or-perforated partitions which aid in effecting arapid inte'rmingling of the gas and liquid. I

The equipment provided for carrying out this method of charging consists of an open-ended receiver into which the container slides-from a chute and the receiver is mounted on trunnions so that it maybe rotated after a container is clamped therein, is filled and the liquid is under 40v gas pressure. Connections are provided "for maintaining the gas pressure while the container is in motion. I

' Figure 1 shows-an open-ended cylindrical reeeiver, or holder 1 for *barrel-shaped-beverage containers of the type indicated by the numeral 2. Each container is slid from a receiving platform or chute 3 into the rece-iver wit-h the top end up and is clamped in this position by the hinged member 4 which is slotted to receive a pivoted bolt 5 for guiding a clamping nut 15. v

The head I of each container is equipped with alplug 8 having a valve19, at its-lower end, which is'cmied y' a valve stem Ill. The stem [0 has square head II which is hollow from the top down to the transverse aperture I2.

A hollow fitting I3 serves as a key for turning the valve by fitting over the square head II of the valve stem. The fitting I3 and the plug 8 have a bayonet slot and pin connection I4 which provides for opening the valve when the fitting I3 is inserted into the plug and for closing the valve when the fitting is removed. When the fitting I3 is in place it provides communication between the inte'rfiqr oi he container and filling and charging" conduits indicated by the numerals I5 and I6. These conduits are respectively opened and closed by valves I! and I8 attached to the T end I9 of fitting I3. The conduit l5zisdetachable so as not to interfere with rotation of holder I and leads to a beverage supply vat, notshown. This vat receives the liquid from mixing vats and the level therein is maintained constant by a float valve; and thus the back pressure in conduit I5" does not ;vary., .When a container is filled to the overflowing point, valve I] is closed and the conduit I6 is connected to valve I8., Valves I8, 26 and 2I; areopened. allowing charging gas from cylin'der22topassthrough a pressure regulator 23,.valve 2I, conduits 24, 25, 26 .and I6, valve I8,

fitting. I3 and tainenrm.

The liquid is thus placed under a definite pressure as determined by the setting of pressure regvalve.,9 totheliquid in the conulator 23. .Valve. I8is then closed and valve I1 is opened. Adefinite quantity of the liquid in the container then flowsiout until the pressure drops. tothat of thefixed-back pressure in conduit I5.

; Then;valve I1. is closed, the valve I8 is reopened and1in order tomix the gas and liquid, the receiver, I and container therein are rotated around trunnion. supports for. the receiver which may be as illustrated in Figure 1 or in Figure 4.

In Figure 1 the receiver is attached to and supportedrbyshafts 21 and 28. The shaft 21 is supported in bearing 29 and is the power shaft, being connected through belt :30 and reduction gears 3I to: an electric motor 32;. 7

ShaftZI carries a cam 33 which operates a ratchet wheel 34 rigid with a switch operating 03111535. Theswitch is indicated at 36 and is connected through the. conductors 31 to a manually operatedswitch 38;for the motor. The cam .35 serves 5130, open theswitch 36 at the end of a completerotation of ratchet 34. ,To close the switch 136, thecontainer 'I is thrown over by hand; thus starting-motion of ratchet 34 and moving the cam away from the switch. 7

The; supporting shaft 28, for the container I is hollowandextends through the. fixed bearings 39.

c ndui fi a d 26 .are d w t S a The rotatine-c nduitfi c n d to th fixed duit 24 leading tothe gas cylinderby a fitting 40 which carries packing M I surrounding the end oi ehe fii i. :51: 1 jlt the end of. a charging operation, all valves are closed and the fitting I3 is removed from the container In removing the fitting I3 from the container, t is necessary to turn it sufficiently in the location of the supports for receiver I and the fact that the discharge chute for the filled containers is in a different location. In Fig. 4 pivot supports 44 and 45 are at the sides of the receiver and the container may stand upright 5 therein during the filling operation. The bearing member 45 is made hollow so that a handle I may be inserted therein for convenience in manually turning the receiver.

The discharge chute 46 is arranged for the 10 delivery of; the filled and charged containers on the opposite side from that of the receiving chute.

The container 2 has short bafiles 41 welded there- "on inside of its heads and which aid in the mixing of theL1i'quid and gas during rotation of the re- 15 ceiver I. "c'en'tral' perforated division wall 48 for the same purpose. :This wallis cut away at 49 so as not to The container shown in Fig. 1 has a interfere -with plug 8. All other parts of the equipment shown in Figs. 4 and 5 correspond to 20 the showing in-Figs. ;l :to. 3 andlikej numerals are applied to identical parts.

The method of charging and the operation of the machine have been described in connection with the detailed description of the mechanism; 255

openings 5I or an empty cask or barrel'is slid 36..

into receiver I from the inclined guide 3 of table 43. The container isthen clamped in the receiver I; by the clamping members 4 and 6. The fittingl3 is applied to plug 8 and in doing 50, valve 9 is opened. In casethe container has not been filled, the valve I1 is opened and the uncharged beverage is permitted to flow into container 2, the air being released through a vent, or tap rod hole, such as indicated at 50 in Fig.1. The valve I] is closed when the container is filled to the overflowing pointand the vent isplosed. .Then gas is admitted to the container byopening. valve I8. After a short interval needed for the absorption of the gas'by liquid, valve I8 is closed and valve I l is opened. This permits enough of the liquid; under the gas pressure to be. forced-back through the conduit I5 until the-pressure thereon is reduced tothat of the back pressure in conduit I5. Valve I1 is then closed and valve I8 is opened; thus restoring the gas pressure. regulated by the reducing valve or pressure regulator 23.

The receiver I is then manually rotated in its bearings enough to cause the cam 33v to shift ratchet 34 far enough to permit switch 36 to close by moving cam 35 out of contact therewith. The receiver is then". rotated under power derived from motor 32 through the gearing' 3|, belt 30 and the drive shaft 21.

The rotation of the containerin receiver I in the container after. about two to five minutes operation, depending on the character of the liquid and gas pressure, when the cam 35 arrives in position ior'opening switch 36, stopping the. 5 motor. Valve I8 is then closed and the fitting I3 is removed from plug 8. In removing this fitting, it must be turned sufiiciently to close valve By this method of charging the containers 2 after the filling operation and causing the gas 7 to expel a definite quantity of the liquidfrom a filled container, the beverage producer is assured of the removal of. all free air from the containers, and unifonnitylin the extent to which theproduct is charged'wi'thout the danger of losingany 75.

The pressure is 5 q 60. .causes the gas to uniformly permeate the liquid to the container and allowing for the flow of liquid into and out of the container, means for agitating the container while communication is maintained between the container and the source of gas supply under pressure, a motor for driving 5 said agitating means, a switch for the motor and a timing device operated by said agitating means and controlling the operation of said switch.

JOHN D. STRUTZEL. 

